As of Thursday, just saying you are an American or Canadian citizen is not enough.
Citizens from each country who are older than 19 must show a birth certificate accompanied by a valid ID, naturalization document or a passport to cross into the U.S., officials said.
Children younger than 18 will only need to show a birth certificate.
"This is day one, and so far we're doing very well," said Felix Garza, a spokesman for Customs and Border Protection for the Rio Grande Valley. "This is a transitional phase."
The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, approved by Congress in 2004, requires verified citizenship and identification if someone enters the U.S. from Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean.
Since the initiative passed, lines of people applying for passports have been forming at post offices.
The post office on Jollyville Road in North Austin processes between 28 and 35 passport applications a day, said Robin Gutman, a custom service manager.
"We're busier than we have been in years past," Gutman said.
The new policy did not delay lines at the border, according to wait times posted on the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Web site.
At 4 p.m. Thursday, there was no traffic congestion at Mexican or Canadian ports of entry, according to the site.
If someone crossing the border cannot present proper identification, he or she will be fingerprinted and checked against the Border Patrol's database to ensure citizenship.
"We will attempt to educate the traveler by notifying them of the policy change so they can comply next time they cross," Garza said. "Once we ensure their citizenship, we let them go."
The agency will issue U.S. passport cards this spring that can be used as a form of identification.
Beginning in June 2009, the border patrol will only accept a passport or passport card as proof of citizenship.
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